100 firefighters battle blaze at BBC's former headquarters in London

LONDON -- About 100 firefighters and 15 fire engines battled a blaze at a high-rise building in West London's White City area, authorities said Saturday.

The nine-story building complex is the former headquarters of the BBC and now houses apartments, restaurants and a television studio, according to BBC News.

The blaze, which broke out early Saturday around 3 a.m. local time, was "affecting floors toward the top of the building."

Later that morning, a restaurant, external decking and ducting remained alight, according to the London Fire Brigade.

Firefighters remained at the scene as of 3:00 p.m. local time, about 12 hours after the brigade was first called, BBC News reported.

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Fire officials told BBC News it was a "complex fire" but said crews were "continuing to make steady progress."

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time, the London Fire Brigade said.

Authorities evacuated buildings in the area as a precaution and set up a rest center for evacuated residents, according to fire officials.